What does Luke 23:45 mean?
Three hours after Jesus is placed on a cross, the whole land goes dark (Luke 23:44). There have been many attempts to give a physical reason for the darkness, but none really fit. Eclipses only last a few minutes. A sandstorm would have been mentioned with the earthquake (Matthew 27:51).In Deuteronomy 28, God uses a suzerain-vassal form of covenant, outlining the requirements of Himself and the Israelites. If they obey Him and worship only Him, He will bless them. If they betray Him, He gives a long list of what may happen depending on the seriousness of their actions: everything from mildew to cannibalism and exile.
The list includes: "The LORD will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of mind, and you shall grope at noonday, as the blind grope in darkness, and you shall not prosper in your ways" (Deuteronomy 28:28–29). The darkness is literal, here, but for many it's also figurative. They thought Jesus was a criminal who blasphemed God. They thought He was a pretender who claimed to be the Messiah. Their understanding was darkened.
The temple veil rips from top to bottom. This is probably the one between the temple and the Holy of Holies. According to Josephus' Wars of the Jews 5.219, that curtain is fifty-five cubits high: around the size of a five-story building. This curtain is thick, but it tears. The verb here is passive; this was something done "to" the curtain. This corresponds to a Jewish sign of mourning: tearing one's clothes. Notably, the barrier is ripped from top to bottom, meaning only God could have done it. God, of course, isn't mourning, and certainly not as a human being would. But the layered symbols here are useful.
This also sends a powerful message: God is no longer cut off from His followers. We have unfettered access to our God. No priest or sacrificial system separates us. Jesus is the great High Priest and His death is the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 7:23–28). Hebrews 10:19–22 exhorts, "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." The veil is torn and we are invited into the presence of God!
Matthew and Mark place this event at Jesus' death (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:37–38). It's possible that Luke wanted to group the supernatural events together and then concentrate on the people's reaction at Jesus' death.
